NCAA Announces Its Formed A Group To Examine Athlete Likeness

LOUISVILLE, KY - MARCH 21: A general view of the court ahead of the game between the UCLA Bruins and UAB Blazers in the third round of the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at KFC YUM! Center on March 21, 2015 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

The move comes in response to issues highlighted in recently proposed federal and state legislation.

Val Ackerman, commissioner of the Big East and working group co-chair, issued a statement about the news:

“This group will bring together diverse opinions from the membership — from presidents and commissioners to student-athletes — that will examine the NCAA’s position on name, image and likeness benefits and potentially propose rule modifications tethered to education.

We believe the time is right for these discussions and look forward to a thorough assessment of the many complexities involved in this area.”

Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith made it clear paying student-athletes isn’t on the table.

“While the formation of this group is an important step to confirming what we believe as an association, the group’s work will not result in paying students as employees,” he said in the statement.

The news could be significant for fans of NCAA Football. After the video game made a return in Madden this year, some thought there could be a path for it to return on its own.

The NCAA exploring changes to the rules against players getting paid for their likeness is another step in the right direction.